The mission of the Center for Pastor Theologians is to equip pastors to be theologians for today’s complex world. The Center’s vision is to see pastor theologians lead thriving congregations that nurture faithful Christians who cultivate renewed communities.

The CPT hosts four pastoral fellowships, each of which meet annually to assist one another in the writing of ecclesial theology on behalf of the church.

CPT Conference 2018

October 22–24 | Chicago, IL

The Art and Science of Spiritual Formation

Recent advances in neuroscience, the explosion of the mental health service sector, and the prominence of psychological research in American culture have changed the conversation in the church about mental health. To what extent has this new focus been helpful for Christian reflection on spiritual formation, and in what ways has it run counter to the life-transforming claims of the gospel? The 2018 CPT Conference sought to bring together the best insights of three fields of study—theological anthropology, spiritual formation, and modern psychology—with a view to articulating a whole-person theology of the mind, heart, body and brain, as well as exploring how best to love and care for victims of abuse and neglect.

Ecclesial Theology and the Late Modern West

Each of our four CPT fellowships is meeting over the 2017–18 academic year to discuss this year's symposium topic: Theology After Darwin. Each symposium will take a different angle on the recent history of theological reflection, including Christology, theological anthropology, the atonement, and original sin. Theological consultants include Daniel Treier, Marc Cortez, Todd Billings, and Oliver Crisp. Papers presented at these symposia will be published in volume 6 of the Bulletin of Ecclesial Theology in 2019.

Now Available from CPT and IVP Academic

This volume includes essays and presentations from the 2017 CPT conference on the doctrine of creation. Contributors include Andy Crouch, Todd Wilson, John Walton, Deb Haarsma, Greg Waybright, and many more.

From IVP Academic

The doctrine of creation is crucial to the Christian faith, but it has often been maligned, misinterpreted, or ignored.

Some, such as pagan philosophers and Gnostics, have tended to denigrate the goodness of the material world. More recently, new questions have emerged regarding human origins in light of the Darwinian account of evolution. What does it mean today to both affirm the goodness of God's creation and anticipate the new creation?

Based on the third annual CPT conference, this volume brings together the reflections of church leaders, academic theologians, and scientists on the importance—and the many dimensions—of the doctrine of creation.

Contributors engage with Scripture and scientific theory, draw on examples from church history, and delve into current issues in contemporary culture in order to help Christians understand the beginning and ending of God's good creation.